For one glorious year, I got to live about 7 blocks away from the best mom + pop bookstore in Cobble Hill called Book Court. At the end of 2016, the owners pridefully retired and a new mom + pop opened another incredible bookstore about 5 blocks away. Emma Straub + her husband Michael opened Books Are Magic a few months back and basically dumped an entire bucket of well designed glitter into a brick abyss.

I am fortunate enough to have a revolving door of out-of-town friends stay at my place for a night or two on a pit stop to their next destination and I have (unknowingly and unintentionally) turned everyone's visits into a beautiful morning ritual stroll of coffee and a bagel, long brownstone wandering walks, and always a stop at the local bookshop. The dreadful four months without one in my neighborhood made me itchy, but the neighborhood is (THANKFULLY) alive again with Books Are Magic! The visitor introduction to my life in Brooklyn can finally continue, we can all rest easy.

This place is so well-curated that is genuinly feels like my neighbor just got really excited about a bunch of books to recommend and decided to put it inside some walls of beautiful bricks (life dream). A mantle with staff picks? Guest speakers with all of Emma's writer friends? COME ON. But to top it off (and maybe my favorite part of it?) is the glorious kids section. They built this little octagon for kiddos to grab a book and hang out in while their parents wander around and I rarely see it unoccupied. Is it too weird for a 26 year old to battle them for a spot?

You can follow their awesome Instragram at @booksaremagicbk, watch a cool interview with Emma at minute 21 here, or see a full cover of the store by this Domino article.

Books Are Magic is located at 255 Smith street, at the corner of Butler St, in Brooklyn.

I only post my best-of on this blog, but if you want to chase me around NYC + follow all the 7 reads I am always cycling through, head on over to my instagram!

Hi! Call me Paige.

I am a 26 year-old bookworm currently reading and running my way through New York City. I love clearance paperbacks, caffeine by the weak pot load, seeing someone on the train reading my favorite book(s), and being giddy over fiction.

Less: lengthy reviews with spoilers of books you will never read. // More: quick post-it thoughts of books you might like.

Currently reading:

1984 by George Orwell

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